Elvis '56 - In the Beginning

This 1987 documentary is distinguished by both its smart narrative premise and wonderful performance footage of Elvis Presley at the dawn of his remarkable career. With the King's melodramatic life already a familiar subject for film and print biographies, producer-directors Alan and Susan Raymond instead shaped this hour-long profile around the year that saw the charismatic Memphis singer's eruption as a pop sensation. By taking that selective path, and focusing tightly on Presley's crucial transition to a major record deal, national media exposure, and the first decisive steps in his subsequent movie career, Elvis '56 achieves a unique cohesion while legitimately celebrating a remarkable period of growth.

With the Band's Levon Helm narrating in his salty Arkansas drawl, the story effectively conveys Elvis's Southern perspective, while evocative use of Alfred Wertheimer's celebrated black-and-white still portraits sustains a visual style carrying over to the program's real high points: early stage and television appearances by Presley and his original trio, later augmented into a quartet. Among the highlights are historic slots on Milton Berle's and Steve Allen's variety shows: we see the joyous physicality that made the Berle performance a topic of outrage (and, of course, a swoon-worthy moment for female fans), as well as Allen's glib solution to censors' worries, forcing a static, tail-coated Presley to sing "Hound Dog" to a basset hound. --Sam Sutherland more

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Recent Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-03-2006; An excellent way to learn about Elvis; The first record I ever bought was the 78-rpm version of 'Heartbreak Hotel', so 1956 is a special year for me. This documentary does a great job of bringing back the feeling of what it was like in this early era of Rock 'N' Roll. This...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-22-2006; Old Fart; I remember watching E on a B&W telly in a drug store while 10 ofus shared a coke as a reason for being there. Who had a namelike "ELVIS" in 1955. Nobody I know and certainly not in Canada.I watched the Dorsey Brothers Show and E and the...; read full review | report as inappropriate

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jul-10-2005; Interesting early Elvis; I had never seen any early Elvis before. It was a treat!! Quality is not the greatest, but then it's old technology. Certainly worth the price if you want to "know" who Elvis is/was.; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Feb-17-2005; Elvis Presley's Early Years - A Terrific Video; This video of Presley's early career is wonderful. It may be the best of all the Presley videos. Don't miss it. You will be there for the early music and the meteoric rise of this rock n roll legend. The quality of the reproduction is...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-03-2006; An excellent way to learn about Elvis; The first record I ever bought was the 78-rpm version of 'Heartbreak Hotel', so 1956 is a special year for me. This documentary does a great job of bringing back the feeling of what it was like in this early era of Rock 'N' Roll. This...; read full review | report as inappropriate